Happy Birthday Dad
by ScholarWard
Summary: Most Viking sons get their old men a bottle of ale or a new sword, Hiccup, however, is not like most sons. What will he get for the birthday of Stoick the Vast ?
1. Thoughts for Presents

**Thoughts for Presents**

**Disclaimer : I don't own How To Train Your Dragon, the honours and copyright go to Cressida Cowell and Dream works Studios**

It was that time of the year. The Chief's birthday, whilst most birthdays were a private affair with family and close friends, the birthdays of the leaders of Vikings were public events, and that case was no different for the Chieftain of the Hairy Hooligans Tribe of Berk. All stops were pulled out and no effort was spared, the inhabitants of Berk had spent the week before the big event making preparations, decorating the Village, cooking food, stockpiling ale and all members of the community hunting down gifts for their leader.

Hiccup was amongst the many Vikings looking for a present for his Chief and Dad. However, unlike most who would run around wildly picking up the first random object they came across, the sixteen year old Heir sat propped up against his Night Fury's sleeping form, having a good, hard think of what to get his Old Man. He had seen year after year Stoick receive the same old things each and every year. Swords, maces, shields, armour, cloaks, ale, gold, even helmets, when it was obvious Stoick would never replace the helmet fashioned from half his deceased wife's breastplate. With a deep sigh, Hiccup roused Toothless from his slumber, hoping a flight would inspire an idea.

Ten minutes found the Pride of Berk, clad in his armour and weapons, flying with Toothless over the vast ocean surrounding Berk, wind blowing in his face, still in deep thought. Then a memory came back to him. Over a year ago, when he had finally convinced his Father to befriend and ride a Dragon, resulting in Stoick meeting Thornado., before Stoick released him to raise the three orphaned baby Thunderdrums, Bing, Bang and Boom. It had been a hard loss for the Chief, despite his son's best efforts to bond him with new Dragons, none had been of the same calibre of his liking, finding a Dragon as good as Toothless.

That's when the idea hit Hiccup harder than Thor's hammer. He would find his Dad a new Dragon for his birthday. That would be a unique gift for his Sire. There were still a couple of days before the big event and there were plenty of unexplored territories ahead, swarming with Dragons, maybe even new, undiscovered species. Maybe a Dragon as good as Toothless, a new species to the Chief's liking if anything. He lent back on Toothless's back thinking of his Dad's personality in a Dragon, he needed something big, strong, loyal, aggressive, stubborn and intelligent. The Dragon's personality needed to click with his Chief's, otherwise there would be no strong bond between Rider and Dragon, the key essential for riding on an airborne reptile efficiently and safely. Hiccup lent forward once again and gestured to Toothless, before changing gear for Dragon's tailfin, speeding the pair towards the horizon and territories unknown.

**First chapter to a new story. Hope you like this story. Check out my other new story, **_**Summer of Fun**_**, if you're a Star Fox fan. If not, enjoy and thanks for the review's :) . Hiccup is wearing the same armour from **_**Thawfest : How it should have happened **_**and all events from that story have been incorporated into my future stories.**


	2. A Missing Heir

**A Missing Heir**

'Where in Thor's name is that boy ?'

Stoick the Vast was pondering over the whereabouts of his Son and Heir, the Pride of Berk. Hiccup and Toothless had gone missing when he needed the pair the most. Silent Sven was no longer silent and his constant screaming had scared off his flock of sheep, AGAIN. The pesky, walking, woolly mutton had scattered across the Village and, being the stupid creatures they were, were getting in the way of the preparations and causing chaos, havoc and mayhem. The Chief was not the sort of Viking to sulk like a baby yak if his birthday was being ruined, but when Viking after Viking kept coming to him, complaining to him again and again about chewed decorations, spilled drink, spoiled food and a ruined prized heirloom rug, it was enough to test any Viking's patience, let alone a Chieftain, known for a quick temper and four hundred pounds behind an angry fist.

He had seeked out Hiccup, hoping for him to gather the Dragon Riders and begin gathering all the sheep as quickly and efficiently as possible, at the same time moralizing the Village with a game of Dragon Racing. But the lad and his Night Fury were nowhere in site. He searched high and low. He had questioned all of the Dragon Riders. Snotlout Jorgenson had not seen him. Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston had not seen neither lad or Dragon. He had terrified Fishlegs Ingerman out of his wits when questioning him on the whereabouts of Hiccup. He knew the lad was capable of taking care of himself, having made peace with Dragons two years ago, won the Thawfest Games the year before and having squared off against Alvin the Treacherous and Dagur the Deranged numerous times. He was about to call off his birthday preparations and demand a search party for the missing Heir, when he then realized there was one person he had not asked about the whereabouts of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.

'Where is he, Astrid?'

'Um, where's who Chief?' replied the target of his question, keeping eye contact and trying to not sound nervous.

'Don't play daft with me, young lady, you know perfectly well who I'm asking about,' Stoick stated with a cocked eyebrow and hands on his belt.

He had finally tracked down his son's girlfriend in the Berk Dragon Training Academy, he had found her practicing her axe work. When Astrid Hofferson had seen Stoick, she had attempted to bolt for the entrance to avoid questioning. The Chief's large muscular bulk, however, had put a stop to that plan very quickly. Despite her having some leverage over the Chief being his son's girlfriend, Astrid had never abused this, but still found herself nervous standing under the intense gaze of Stoick the Vast.

'He asked me to keep it secret.' Astrid finally replied with a sigh of resignation.

'Keep exactly what a secret, Astrid?' Astrid gave him a small piece of parchment.

'He said for me to give you this if you ask where he is, but he said to only to give it you if you got worried about him or if it was an emergency.' the Hofferson stated calmly, crossing her arms and giving a neutral look waiting for a response from her boyfriend's Dad.

'I suppose that this is one of those cases I take it,' Stoick said with a look of gratitude, he had appreciated that Astrid had tried defending Hiccup and was now telling the truth. At the same time he as glad that she had picked up the understanding of sarcasm that he had passed onto his son. He looked down onto the parchment, and read his son's neat handwriting.

_To the Chieftain of Berk and the Hairy Hooligan Tribe _

'Very formal of him,' Stoick thought aloud to himself before continuing to read.

_Dad, if you're reading this now, please either apologize to Astrid for your outburst or don't snap at her if you haven't already please. Toothless and I are both safe and well. I have my armour and weapons with me just in case. We have gone north-west into the Unknown Lands, in search of something unique for your birthday, from both of us really. There is no need to cancel preparations and arrange a search party either. We'll be back before the celebrations begin. I promise. See you soon, maybe_

_Regards,_

_Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III_

Stoick finished reading his son's letter and chuckled to himself. He had liked how the lad had been formal in the matter, how he had defended his Lady and the 'maybe' that he himself used to Hiccup when he going on long journey's. He also felt himself swell with pride for his Heir, that he was willing to make an extra effort to get him something unique against the rest of the generous, but traditional gifts and offerings from the rest of Berk. He knew the lad meant well, that's what he had been doing for all of his life, for Thor's sake. After the years of being the village outcast, Hiccup had managed, through his most recent deeds in the last two years, to change almost everyone's opinion of him. Even earning Alvin's respect and a peace treaty between the Outcasts and Hairy Hooligans. Hiccup knew what he was doing, and with that Night Fury of his, he knew that the pair could look after themselves.

Looked away from the message from his son and turned his attention to Astrid Hofferson, who was standing nearby with her Deadly Nadder, smiling at the Chief's reaction to her boyfriend's letter. Both of them knew what Hiccup was capable of and they both knew they could trust him to home in one piece.

'Astrid,' said Stoick, looking again at the Shield Maiden.

'Yes Chief,' came her response, alert and at attention.

'Thank you for giving me message, Astrid, you can go about your business now,' he replied, moving to one side to allow Rider and Dragon leave the former Arena.

As the Hofferson left, Stoick the Vast, looked north-west, towards the horizon with Sun dipping red in the background.

'Safe travels son, you better get me something good.'

**There's the second chapter guys. Thanks for reviews :)**


	3. A New Discovery

**A New Discovery**

Hiccup had not needed Toothless's enhanced Dragon senses to hear the bellowing roar that had emitted over the distant mountain from where both Rider and Dragon were taking a break near a small stream, enjoying a lunch of fish, caught by Toothless, and a helping of cooked rabbit, curtsey of Hiccup's more recent archery skills. The pair were in the second day of their search for the right Dragon for Stoick the Vast. So far, they had found three Gronckles, five Deadly Nadders, four Monstrous Nightmares, two Hideous Zipplebacks and a flock of Terrible Terrors. Being in grasslands near a mountain range, there were no Thunderdrums or Scauldrons present. None of the Dragons found were either able to match Stoick's character or would have met the Chieftain's approval. Hiccup had been familiar with all of the calls of all of the Dragon's he had had encountered in his Dragon career. There was no way that this Dragon call was that of a Whispering Death. Hiccup and Toothless looked at one another, knowing what the other was thinking instantly, they quickly finished their lunch and flew off towards the direction of the roar.

They had had to fly a good fifteen minutes before reaching where Toothless had judged where the sound originated from. Hiccup was interested already, taking out a piece of parchment and placing a tick on the line that stated 'intimidating roar', beating the Zippleback, Nadder and Gronckle already down by one point. They had landed behind a large boulder, concealing the pair from the object of their desire. Slowly and steadily the pair looked around, and were amazed by what they saw.

What stood before them was unlike anything they had seen before. The Dragon was huge, it was not as tall as a Monstrous Nightmare or Hideous Zippleback, but it was sheer bulk. That sheer bulk was dark green with a red pigment scattered across its scaly skin. A small group of Terrible Terrors were resting peacefully its back. It had large wings, again dark green with red scattered across even the membrane of the wings. It's tail resemble that of a mace, definitely a weapon. But it was the head that was the most interesting characteristic of this new Dragon. Above the head were a series of natural, armoured plates. Large nostrils meant a good sense of smell and sharp eyes radiating intelligence. Two large purple horns extended from the top of the head, whilst a smaller, but thicker pair of horns curved away from the Dragon's blood red nose and its jade green chin. Presently, it was feasting on a catch of wild boars it had caught and roasted, tearing off chucks of meat and bone, and crushing them efficiently with it powerful jaws.

'Power, another box ticked,' thought Hiccup, not for one moment taking his eye off the wonder before him. A loud hiss interrupted his thoughts.

A Monstrous Nightmare had landed on the other side of the clearing and had his eyes set on the other Dragon's kill. Having its muzzle in buried deep in a half eaten boar, the Other Dragon had yet to register the Nightmare's presence.

'This could go bad, bud,' Hiccup said quietly to Toothless, the chances of getting Stoick the Vast a unique birthday gift dwindling by the moments.

Then one of the Terrible Terrors woke up, spotted the Nightmare and an alert squeal, the others waking and following suit. Their calls alerting the Other Dragon, it turned and faced the Nightmare, giving a rumbling growl of gratitude to the smaller Dragons.

'Hey, look bud, the big guy had them on lookout,' gasped Hiccup amazed. A tick for intelligence.

The Nightmare gave another hiss as it crawled forward, the Other Dragon lumbered towards it, giving a rumbling growl of defiance. Hiccup looked on with amazement at the scene before him. The Monstrous Nightmare may have had size on its side, but the Heir of Berk could tell, pound to pound that, the Other was the more powerful predator and it knew it. It happened so quickly. The intruder had charged onto the hunter, only to receive a heavy blow from the tail club. The Other then bolted forward with great speed unrealistic for its size and seized the Nightmare's neck in its jaws, wrestling it to the ground. The trapped intruder attempted to stab at it's captives head, the armour plates preventing this however. It went limp, submitting to defeat. As the Victor let go, the Nightmare attempted to strike again, only to receive a hard head butt between the eyes. It's head swayed for a moment before it collapsed to the ground, knocked out cold. The Dragon took a few deep breaths, gave a quick nod and returned to its kill, ripping off pieces of meat and throwing them into the direction of the Terrible Terrors, who scurried forward and started devouring the generous offerings. It kept giving off rumbling growls as it stood there watching the smaller Dragon's

Hiccup had observed all of that had just transpired with stunned disbelief. He had not only discovered a new species of dragon, he had just seen that new species of Dragon make short work of another Dragon that, as a species altogether, was supposed to be dangerous. It ticked all of the boxes, he was looking for. Strength, size, speed, intelligence, loyalty, aggressiveness and stubbornness. This was the one. He had found his Dad's Dragon, all he needed to do now was train it for Stoick the Vast. His thoughts trailed back to the Dragon and its constant low growls.

'Rumblehorn,' Hiccup thought aloud.

A piece of boar meat landed near them.

**Thanks for the wait guys. I'll try to update as soon as possible between each chapter :) .**


	4. Saying Hello

**Saying Hello**

Hiccup and Toothless stood there motionless for a moment. _The big guy knew we were here along_, thought the Viking impressed. He gestured for Toothless to follow him and made his way round the boulder. The Rumblehorn was standing there, facing them with a bemused look on its face. _Yep he'd known along_ thought Hiccup in disbelief. He stooped and picked up the slab of meat that had been thrown in their direction. He HATED this part.

He looked on curiously as the Viking picked up the boar meat offered to him. He had never seen one behave like this before. He was more amazed when the Viking took a big chuck out of the meat, chewed slowly and swallowed. It then passed the rest of the meat to the lean, black Dragon behind it. _Interesting _he thought. Most Vikings he had encountered had ran screaming at him, bearing their weapons. This one fascinated him. It began to approach him, immediately he tensed up, ready for any funny business. All of the time, this strange creature had maintained eye contact and made no sudden movements, as if not to startle him. Then it held one of its limbs, closed it eyes and looked away. He cocked his head to one side, curious at this odd behaviour, yet deep within him, he knew he could trust this strange little creature on two legs. He slowly move towards the stranger, to make contact with its hand.

Hiccup had almost bonded with the Dragon, when low growl was heard. The Nightmare was coming to, and that could ruin everything. Too late, the Monstrous Nightmare had gained full conscious, and observed the scene before it. It moved forward to attack the other Dragons. Remaining calm, Hiccup had expected this to happen. He looked the Rumblehorn in the eye, kept his hand extended, and gave it a small nod. The Dragon looked towards the approaching Nightmare, looked back to him and returned the gesture. Hiccup reached his left hand to his belt.

He had just returned the gesture of trust, as the Nightmare came down onto the group, when the strange little Viking took a metal tube from its side. It held it up shoulder length and from it sprang fire. No, a blade sprang from the tube and it engulfed by flames. He turned to look at the blade's direction and was amazed by what he saw.

Hiccup had ignited Inferno whilst maintaining eye contact with the Rumblehorn. The Monstrous Nightmare had screeched to a stop, perplexed by a Viking wielding fire from their hands. The Pride of Berk smirked in triumph, it always happened. The Rumblehorn had turned to face the fire, fascinated by his tactic. Hiccup then slowly moved the blade side to side and in small, steady circles. The Nightmare's eyes followed Inferno's movement before they dilated and the Dragon began to breath calmly, at ease. The Terrible Terrors who had been observing the scene also followed suit. The Rumblehorn looked on with admiration as Hiccup bonded with the Nightmare and the four Terrible Terror's.

Throughout the whole time, the black Dragon had done nothing, except remain calm and watch the scene before it play out. Then the strange little creature approached him again. This time, it walked at a casual, steady pace, with its arm once again stretched, its green eyes displaying a calm, trusting light. Almost cautious, he approached the hand, closed his eyes and touched the Viking's palm.

Hiccup smiled to himself as he finally bonded with the Rumblehorn. He did the first thing he had wanted to do at the start of the whole situation. He let out a big breath of relief.

'That's the hard part done.'

**Another chapter guys. This story will not be large as a story. But I will make it a sizable one though. Thanks for reading guys :)**


	5. The Way Home

**The Way Home**

Hiccup and Toothless spent the last half of the second day and the first half of the third bonding with the Rumblehorn, Monstrous Nightmare and the four Terrible Terrors. He had decided not to give any of the group names, if he gave them all names, he would grow attached to them, and he had remembered clearly his Dad's statement, the 'one Dragon only in this house' rule. Hiccup found himself wholeheartedly agreeing with his Chief's policy for once. Bringing a whole menagerie of named Dragons to the Haddock household would only go on to drive both Haddock's up the wall.

After making sure all of the Dragon's were fed and watered, Hiccup and Toothless went on a recon flight, sweeping a ten mile radius, on the lookout for hostile Vikings and wild Dragons. After finishing his patrol, he returned back to the clearing and greeted each of the Dragons with his hands. They remained there for another hour and half, letting Toothless rest before a long journey. During the break, Hiccup took out a piece of parchment and had started drawing pictures of the landmarks he had spotted and jotting down notes. It had become a hobby of his over the past year, with a Dragon, especially one as fast as Toothless, exploring lands unexplored and going where no one goes. Hiccup finished his map making, packed his gear and mounted Toothless, and led the small fleet of trained Dragons south east back to Berk, their new home.

They had flown for an hour and half, when the Rumblehorn sniffed the air, he then growled and peeled away from the rest of the group.

'Where you off to big guy?' Hiccup questioned, curious of what the Dragon could sense. Trusting the Dragon's instincts, Hiccup gestured to Toothless. The Night Fury nodded and turned towards the direction of the Rumblehorn, leading the flock of flying reptiles with him.

Dagur the Deranged was ecstatic, his men had finally caught his prize and trophy, a newly discovered species of Dragon. They had took it by surprise when it had been in a deep sleep, having used its loud snoring to track it down and cover their sounds of ambush. It's head and hide would make a lovely addition to the rest of his grizzly Dragon souvenirs, if they could keep it still long enough for him to stick his axe in its throat. It was huge. The body of the new Dragon resembled that of a Gronckle, but it was much larger in size and wingspan. Differences were that its eyes were closer to its snout and its teeth were smaller, but sharper then a Gronckles. It's main characteristics that set it apart from other Dragon's were it's habit of eating anything metal that came near it and its tail. The tail itself looked like a cross between a mace and bludgeon. It's bulk made it difficult to control, but it was beginning to tire, it was only a matter of time before it would exhaust completely.

The Berserker group continued their sadistic game, unaware of the fact that it was being watched by a lone Viking and his sizable group of Dragons. None of them were impressed with what they saw. Hiccup, for one, had seen enough of this cruel sport, and he himself wanted another crack at Dagur personally. The Beserker Chieftain had managed to escape justice after his defeat on Outcast Island the year before, so the Heir had unfinished business with the Deranged. He ran through the plan with them again. They were to sweep in with a blast, literally, surprising the torturers. Whilst Hiccup, Toothless, the Rumblehorn and Nightmare held off the Berserkers, the Terrible Terrors would set to work in freeing the new Dragon. They all agreed on their roles and set off to strike.

His men had managed to subdue the Dragon, Dagur was finally going to get his trophy. He approached it with a twisted grin on his face, stood above the Dragon's neck and raised his axe to make his kill. A purple bolt came out of nowhere and hit a group of Berserkers, knocking them off their feet and scattering them. Dagur looked up and saw four Terrible Terrors, a Monstrous Nightmare, a Dragon he had never seen before, and leading the attack was none other than Hiccup and his Night Fury. The group made a sharp curve in the air, swinging around for another pass over the ships and their catapults. They left nothing but debris and splinters. Then they turned their attention to the Berserkers. Hiccup leapt off Toothless to confront Dagur, sticking to the plan, the Night Fury, Rumblehorn and Monstrous Nightmare engaged the warriors, and the Terrible Terrors used their flames and teeth to cut the ropes that bonded the Dragon.

'Up to your usual deranged ways, Dagur?' questioned Hiccup, drawing Inferno.

'Hello, Hiccup, are you feeling all hiccupy good?' answered his opponent, twirling his double headed axe. The Viking leaders clashed.

Within less than five minutes, the Dragons had freed the prisoner and had made short work of the Berserkers. Now all attention resolved around the Deranged and the Pride of Berk. Being Chieftain to the Berserkers meant that Dagur was naturally a fighter. He was, however, mad with anger, to discover that his opponent was more of a match against him. In their past encounters, Dagur was used to the runt of Stoick the Vast either dodging him clumsily or using that pathetic shield of his. Not engaging him head on like this, attacking the Berserker Chief swiftly, deflecting his blows efficiently and dodging attacks nimbly. Unfortunately for him, back at Berk, Hiccup had spent most of his working life in the Forge, lifting weapons, carrying large chunks of metal ore and hefting heavy tools, he had muscle, despite everyone in the past mocking him as a hiccup and runt. He had beaten Snotlout Jorgenson in armed combat in the Thawfest Games last year. He was a capable fighter.

Their weapons locked for a moment, Dagur pulled back an arm and attempted a punch, only for his hand to be caught in Hiccup's palm, his strength matching the Berserkers. Hiccup then pulled his head back and then head butted Dagur, hard. The Deranged staggered back, whilst the Pride of Berk was dazed from his attack. The Berkian recovered first by just a few seconds, but it was more than enough time. Hiccup hit Dagur on the wrist with the flat of Inferno's blade, his enemy yelped and dropped his axe in pain. He then brought the blade up to the Viking's throat, Dagur's face twisted in silent contempt as he slowly raised his hands in submission.

'Do you yield Dagur?' questioned Hiccup, Dagur nodded in response.

'This isn't over, Hiccup,' mocked Dagur, putting emphasis on the last word, he knew Hiccup would not kill in cold blood, but the Deranged knew not to push his luck with the Pride of Berk.

Toothless landed near Hiccup, and he mounted the Dragon, keeping his full attention on Dagur, daring the other Viking to try something. Eventually the group took flight, leaving Dagur devastated, literally. Once in the air, Hiccup looked to the survivor, fortunately it had only minor injuries, the Rumblehorn and Nightmare flying near it, just in case.

The Survivor had been flying with them for fifteen minutes, before it threw up a wave of molten metal, similar to Gronckles.

'Hotburple,' thought Hiccup in deep thought, christening the new species of Dragon.

**New chapter guys, hope you enjoy it. Until then, take care :)**


	6. Happy Birthday Dad

**Happy Birthday Dad**

'They're cutting it close, that pair are.'

Stoick had started to fret about the whereabouts of Hiccup and Toothless. They had done all of the necessary tasks assigned to them in preparation to his Chief's birthday celebrations before they had left three days ago. However, being the Heir of Berk, his attendance, unless in the case of an emergency, was compulsory by tradition. Stoick knew the lad was known to deliver, but there were times when he cut it close, too close for his Father's liking sometimes.

This was not the first time Hiccup had behaved in this manner and scare his Sire out of his wits. The time when it was believed that his Heir had met his end at the hands of the Red Death, fortunately the lad had pulled through, even if it meant the loss of his leg. The selfless deed of where Hiccup had sacrificed his freedom, and possibly his life to the Outcasts, to save the people of Berk. The incident where he had made a temporary truce with Alvin and Mildrew to save Stoick from the torments of Dagur the Deranged, the result being the defeat of the Beserkers and a new peace between Berkians and Outcasts, as well as the restoring the old friendship between Alvin the Treacherous and Stoick the Vast. These actions had been pulled off and they made the Chief of Berk swell with pride for his Heir and for the future successes to come.

There had been times when Stoick had been left in disbelief. The time Hiccup had led the other Dragon Riders to the Treasure of Hamish the First to prove himself against their original painting of the Chief and Heir. The Pride of Berk had managed to survive the cave in, but it was more than enough to terrify Stoick half to death. Another case had been when Hiccup had allowed himself to be tricked into being captured by the Outcasts. Even the events before Hiccup had made the Peace with the Dragons had miffed the four hundred Viking Chieftain to a certain degree. He knew that the lad had always meant well and was going to make mistakes every now and then, he WAS improving as he got older, but the Stoick was still entitled to worry about Hiccup. The lad was more then his Heir and Hope of Berk, he was his Son.

The Chieftain of the Hairy Hooligan stood at the Shelf that towered over the harbour of Berk, his gaze fixed on the horizon, pondering the whereabouts of his Heir and Hope, he knew that Toothless would take care of Hiccup, and that his Son would look out for the Night Fury. Still, there were times when he wished he had Thornado with him. He would have been able to speed off into the horizon and find his boy, even it was just to make sure he was safe and sound. He sighed deep and sadly as he leant on the railing. He just hoped the lad was alright.

'Worrying about your boy Stoick?'

The Chief of Berk turned and faced his Outcast counterpart. Since peace had been made between the Berkians and Outcasts, Alvin the Treacherous and his men had been welcomed as allies and old friends, both tribes travelling back and forth between the two islands freely. Alvin enjoyed this fully, sharing drinks and old tales with Stoick and Gobber just like the good old days. Hiccup had been generous enough to forgive the Outcast Leader and had offered him a Whispering Death as a gesture of goodwill. It would be the first Dragon that Hiccup would help the Outcasts train according to their peace treaty, but the Pride of Berk had handled the situation diplomatically and had treated the Outcast Chieftain first.

'I'm not worried, Alvin, I'm just concerned about his well being.'

'Ohhh, so you're outright fretting about the boy,' chuckled Alvin, reading his friends mind. 'Do you want me get Rocktooth and go look for him,' referring to his female Whispering Death.

'No, we can't organize a search party now, its too late now. We'll have to start my birthday celebrations with him and Toothless,' the Chief sighed in resignation, secretly disappointed his son and Night Fury, his family, were not there on his birthday.

'I'm sure the lad's on his way back now, Stoick,' stated Gobber, joining the pair on the Shelf.

'Really, only wish I could be as sure,' replied Stoick quietly. The trio stood there together, in mutual silence, scanning the clear sky, looking for any sign of the Pride of Berk and his Night Fury. Eventually, the three Vikings realized that they could wait no longer and had to attend the birthday celebrations

'Everyone, can I have your attention please,' Stoick announced, getting everyone's attention.

They had congregated around the steps before the Great Hall, Vikings of Berk and Outcast visitors, as well as their Dragons. The Chief stood at the entrance of the Great Hall, looking down at the Village, his people and guests. He was flanked by Alvin, Gobber, Spitelout, Gothi and other senior members of the Village and guests. The other Dragon Riders were present, the only ones absent were Hiccup and Toothless, who should have been on the right flank of Stoick. But they could wait no longer.

'We are gathered here today to celebrate my 46th birthday,' claps and roars of applause followed this. Stoick gave them a few moments before he asked for silence.

'Unfortunately my son, Hiccup, the Pride of Berk, is pursuing a matter of great importance and is unable to . . . to . . . . . . .' the Chief of Berk's speech trailed off as something caught his eye above the crowd just on the horizon. A speck. Stoick descended the steps in silence, pushing the silent audience of perplexed Vikings and Dragons. Reaching the rear of the group he strained his eyes to see the object better.

'What in Thor's is that?' piped up Gobber, hobbling up just behind his Chief.

'Here get a look through that,' barked Alvin, handing his friend a looking glass. Stoick thanked him and peered through the looking glass and was shocked by what he saw.

'It's Hiccup,' shouted Stoick. 'And he's brought more Dragons with him.' The population of Berk cheered at the sighting of the Hope and Heir of Berk.

Hiccup could see Berk just ahead as he led the convoy of Dragons to their new home. He just hoped his Dad would not bite his head off for cutting it close.

'Alright guys,' he addressed the group of flying reptiles. 'When we touch down on Berk, remain calm, unlike MOST Vikings, these ones are used to Dragons landing in their territory, as you'll see that soon enough.' Grunts and nods off the Dragons stated they all got the message.

The Haddock smiled with relief to himself and they continued to make their way home. _Home _the Rumblehorn thought to himself, _that sounds nice_.

The group finally landed in the clearing just in front of the Village, in front of an entire population of surprised Vikings. The squadron leader leapt from his Night Fury and greeted his Chief.

'Hey Dad, sorry we're late,' Hiccup addressed his Chief and Sire formally, Stoick's response was his trademark bear hug.

'Nice to see you made it, Son,' the Chief chuckled with relief, swinging his Heir around.

'Ummm, thanks Dad,' Hiccup managed, finally receiving air when Stoick settled him down. He gathered himself and stood chin up and chest out saluting his Chieftain with his drawn sword.

'Chief Stoick of Berk,' Hiccup announced formally in front of the Village. 'Happy Birthday,' turning around and gesturing to the Rumblehorn.

He had spent the whole time standing in the clearing behind the young Viking, Hiccup as he had came to know him as, as the Viking was embraced by an elder Viking, almost definitely his Sire. So far none of the Vikings had attacked any of the Dragons, he was amazed to see Dragons amongst the Vikings, all on friendly terms. He took a good hard look at the man near Hiccup. It was clear that this one was the leader, the alpha male of this society, a suitable warrior to a suitable Dragon such as himself. The Viking leader's personality and stature radiated power, authority, loyalty, intelligence and stubbornness. IF he was anything like his fierce offspring. He just needed to past the Test. This new stranger needed to follow Hiccup's example.

Stoick stood just behind his Son, stunned with wonder by the magnificent beast in front of him. He barely took in Hiccup's motives for finding him an unique birthday present, the journey made, the discovery, the clash with Dagur and the Beserkers and the way back home. He knew what he had to do. He walked slowly and steadily, not to startle the newcomer. Stoick kept his stoic gaze as he raised his hand, moving towards the Dragon before him.

_Good, good _he thought as the Viking leader approached him in the same manner as Hiccup had. _He's behaving the same way_. He himself treaded cautiously forward, meeting the Viking head on, knowing what was going to happen, remaining on alert just in case of funny business.

Stoick walked forward slowly, his palm held forward. The New Dragon lumbered forward, stood there still for a moment, then closed its eyes, and touched the Vast hand.

'Skullcrusher,' the Chieftain of Berk and the Hairy Hooligan Tribe announced, introducing his new Dragon.

He smiled and the bond was made

_Skullcrusher, he liked that_.

**An idea ladies and gentlemen. A story with Merida as Hiccup's second wife. I love Astrid and Hiccup as a couple, but I would find a story with Astrid being sadly lost and leaving Hiccup a son who needs another mother quite an interesting plot. With a few surprises on the side.**


	7. Going Up For Adoption, You're Big Grump

**Going Up For Adoption, You're Big Grump**

The crowd had cheered as their Chieftain had finally bonded with a Dragon of his own. The newcomers settled immediately as they saw that these Vikings would mean no harm to them. Eventually the congregation of Dragons and Vikings returned to the celebrations.

Whilst Stoick was grateful towards all of the generous and 'interesting' gifts given in his honour, he could not take one eye off that magnificent beast. He had received drinking goblets, swords, fur rugs, ale, gold, helmets even. All were great presents, but all were eclipsed by the unique offering that had been brought by his Son. He could see why the lad had chosen this Dragon. It, no he, radiated power, intelligence and he definitely looked a fighter. He had listened to Hiccup's account of how Skullcrusher had dealt with the Monstrous Nightmare, and how, thanks to his sense of smell, they had managed to find their last companion and wiped the floor clean with Dagur and the Berserkers. The Chief of Berk had had some astounding surprises for his birthday, but thus one had eclipsed the lot.

Stoick looked towards his Heir, taking up his ceremonial place at his Chief's side, Astrid Hofferson close to his side, both standing at ease as their Chief took his presents, She kept throwing longing glances at Hiccup. He was proud of his Heir, and grateful for his considerate gesture. Hiccup had gone the extra mile in finding his Sire a present, an unusual present by Viking standards, but that what made it so significant. Skullcrusher beat a sword or a bottle of ale any birthday. He was also not the only new resident to Berk .

The four Terrible Terrors cautiously approached the hunched Viking with the tall staff. She was surrounded by others of their kind, so she must be trustworthy. The Elder Viking was feeding her brood giblets of chicken, whilst other nuzzled up against her furred clothed form. Gothi spotted the four newcomers and hobbled forward, leaning on her staff, hovering over the four with a scrutinizing stare. The little Dragons all shuffled uncomfortably under the Elder's gaze. Then slowly she leant away from her staff and lowered her hand to them. The bravest of the quartet crawled forward cautiously, it lingered for a moment, then closed its eyes and made contact with Gothi's tattooed hand. The three others followed suit and all four never left her side for the rest of the day.

Hiccup had led the Monstrous Nightmare away from Skullcrusher soon after making introductions between the Rumblehorn and his Chief, to avoid any confrontations between the two Dragon's, in result probably ruining the celebrations. Hiccup had just the right pair of Vikings for the Nightmare.

'Hey Mulch, hey Bucket,' the Pride of Berk addressing the mismatched two.

'Ahh hey there, Hiccup, it's nice to see you're keeping well,' chirped Mulch, saluting the young Viking with his hook. Bucket waved with a friendly smile.

Hiccup smiled back. Whilst the rest of the Village saw the pair as mishaps, tolerated by their occupations in providing fish and farm produce, Hiccup had always liked them. They were actually pleasant company, never meaning any real harm to Hiccup or anyone else. Pride of Berk had also remembered that they had defended Toothless from the rest of the Village when the lightening storms had wreaked havoc across Berk. Whilst they had said they stood with the Chief at the time, they had helped prevent Mildrew and the other Vikings from exiling Toothless and tipping him over the Edge of the World. Hiccup had been grateful for their noble intervention and had never been able to find the right way to reward them for their loyalty. As the Pride of Berk had landed on Berk and spotted the pair, he recalled Snotlout using Hookfang to round up a catch of fish the previous year and that was when the idea came to him.

'Mulch, Bucket, have you guys thought about recruiting a new crew member to your fishing team,' stated Hiccup, gesturing to the Monstrous Nightmare behind.

'You found us a Dragon,' Bucket piped up excitedly. 'Oh can we keep it, can we keep it,' begging Mulch like a giddy child. 'I've always wanted one. Not a Skrill, though.'

Both remembered quite well, the incident surrounding the Skrill and Berserkers. Mulch looked from his friend to the drake in front of him, and nodded.

'Wellll, we could do with an extra hand, well claw, in fishing trips,' Mulch corrected himself, looking at the huge reptile. 'Plus we're in the minority without a Dragon of our own.'

'Then it's settled then,' Hiccup announced. 'Guy's you know what to do.'

The two fisherman nodded and stepped forward, holding their hands and keeping eye contact with the newcomer. The dark purple Dragon cocked its head to one side for a moment, taking in the pair. He then closed his eyes and lowered his head, touching both Vikings hands.

'Seacatch,' the mismatched pair had both said. The three remained inseparable for the rest of the day.

After finishing dropping off Seacatch with his new owners, Hiccup went off to try to bond off the Hotburple. He remembered that there had been another great influence on his life that had existed before the Peace with the Dragons. The Pride of Berk had observed the last Dragon of his small fleet of airborne reptiles during their journey home. The Hotburple, had been somewhat of a blunt and direct character, constantly taking naps or throwing up molten metal, meaning well and no harm, but sometimes, during being the source of the problem without intention. It possessed a warm, relaxed attitude to life. Hiccup grinned to himself. Whilst there was no such thing as perfect, he knew just the right Viking for this Dragon. As the Heir of Berk, he was going to put his rank to good use for the wellbeing of Berk and its residents.

'Hey there, Gobber,' Hiccup addressed the blacksmith.

'Oh hey there, Hiccup lad, nice to see you finally,' chirped Gobber, hobbling over to the younger Viking.

'I've got someone you might want to meet,' Hiccup led his mentor to the Hotburple, the elder Viking catching on to what his former apprentice was implying.

'I don't know, Hiccup lad, I'm a blacksmith and dentist, not a Dragon Rider,' stated Gobber, scratching his rear casually.

'Well he reflects your personality actually, plus he ingests metal and throws it again, similar to a Gronckle, you'll get on just fine,' replied Hiccup, proud of his discovery. 'Plus as the Son of the Chief of Berk, I'm ordering you to take careof our esteemed guests whilst he's here,' he finished this 'order' with a knowing smirk.

'Does he now,' the Viking said with a tug of his moustache. 'Well if you put that way, I've no choice but to accept your 'order' and generous offer,' grinning back to his former apprentice, before turning his attention to the lumbering lizard near them.

The Hotburple stared towards the Viking with a lazy eye look, and lumbered forward, touching the Viking's outstretched hand.

'You're a right big grumpy ain't you?' chuckled Gobber. 'Grump, you like that?'

In response, Grump just sat him and starting snoring loudly.

'Yep, looks like he likes that name,' chuckled the Heir of Berk, giving the Dragon an affectionate pat on the snout before leaving. 'Catch you later, Gobber.'

Now he had bonded off all of the Dragons, Hiccup remembered he needed to visit someone else. Someone he had been wanting to see again since his return.

'Hello, Astrid,' announcing his presence to the person of his desires. She responded with a light punch in his shoulder.

'You took your time finding me Hiccup,' responded Astrid, smiling as the Pride of Berk wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing the Hofferson into an embrace.

'Saving the best until last Milady,' he chuckled with a grin.

'I've got to admit you've got a way with words, I'll give you that,' replied the Shield Maiden, returning his grin with her own. 'So, you managed to find a Dragon for your Dad's birthday then.'

'It seems so,' Hiccup grinned, taking her hand in his other hand.

'Well, it's nice to see you've come back safe Hiccup.'

The pair stood staring at one another before they leant in and shared a deep, lingering kiss, whilst the celebrations continued around them.

**Thanks for the wait guys. Put a lot of thought and effort in the last couple of chapters, so I ran out of ideas. I hope you enjoy. **


	8. Chief and Dragon

**Chief And Dragon**

Whilst all of the other Vikings and Dragons were more then content to lounge about in the celebrations after the Chief's Birthday Ceremony, drinking, feasting, singing and wrestling, the Chief himself had other plans. Gothi had fallen asleep in a quiet corner, smothered by her litter of Terrible Terrors, the newcomers snuggling up to her. Mulch and Bucket were spending half their time chatting to each other and the other half bonding with Seacatch and feeding him ale and fish. Gobber had drank more than his fair share of ale and snoring loudly against Grump's slumbering form.

Like an over excited birthday boy, Stoick was going to try out his best present. Hiccup had promised to make a saddle to accommodate Stoick's size and Skullcrusher's form soon. But the Chief could not wait that long, plus Stoick knew the lad had sneaked off somewhere quiet with a certain young Shield Maiden. The Vast chuckled to himself, his Hope and Heir had done good and he deserved a well earned break. The Pride of Berk had really outdone himself this year, finding a Dragon for his Chief, _a fine specimen indeed _Stoick had thought to himself, as well as new Dragons for Gobber, Gothi, Mulch and Bucket, and squaring off and defeating Dagur the Deranged in armed combat. Hiccup was now doing he wanted to do and now Stoick was going to do he wanted to do.

Stoick led Skullcrusher to the clearing where he, Hiccup and the other Dragons had first arrived at Berk that very day. Chief and Dragon faced each other, and the Viking raised his large weathered hand, the Dragon stepped forward and touched the hand with his horned face. Barely containing his excitement, Stoick leapt onto the Rumblehorn's back.

'Up Skullcrusher,' the Vast barked with glee.

No sooner was this said, the Dragon bolted upwards so fast, the four hundred pound Chieftain was almost left behind. _Hiccup wasn't lying about speed_ Stoick thought with surprise, keeping a firm grip on one of Skullcrusher's armoured plates to prevent himself from being blown off the huge airborne reptile. With the wind gushing into his face, the Chief was definitely enjoying his new gift. And they was only getting started.

_Elsewhere on Berk_

In a secluded canyon away from the Village, a fire burned in the darkness near the lake. It was only a small fire, but it was enough to illuminate to the two slumbering Dragons and their awake Riders. Since those two faithful meetings with Toothless, Hiccup and Astrid had decided that this canyon was their place, like the Twin's Soggy Alone Place. It was where both Vikings had met Toothless, and where it could be said their relationship had been born. Hiccup had finished his duties and moral obligations for his Chief, as well as his most recent adventure in finding a new group of Dragons, so he was finally spending a few quiet hours of peace with his Lady. The two shared a buffet and a couple of bottles of ale.

'Finally, peace with the most important woman in my life,' the Haddock stated, placing his arm around the Hofferson's waist.

'Most important woman, you say,' the Shield Maiden, snuggling into the side of her Champion, feeling warm and comfortable in his hold.

'Well Milady, if I said most important person, we'd have to start an argument between Toothless, my Dad and yourself,' he chuckled. 'If that was said, you would be punching me hard and the whole of Berk would be hiding in fear from two of the deadliest Viking warriors in the Village.'

'Good point,' Astrid responded with a chuckle of her own and a light punch in her man's shoulder. 'Still, I'm amazed you beat Dagur one on one.'

'You thought I wouldn't?' this said cocked eyebrow and a smirk.

'No of course not. . . . .what I mean is. . . . .well you know what I mean,' Astrid stuttering as she panicked. 'You've changed a lot Hiccup. . . . .which is great. . . .but I was concerned you might not beat him and might not come to Berk. . . . . to me I suppose as well.'

Hiccup smiled as the Shield Maiden stuttered in search for an explanation, amused that his old awkwardness had rubbed off on her. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her in a deep kiss, silencing her babbling. Astrid muffled her shock at his interruption, before relaxing and pushing herself into her Champion's lips. Eventually after a few minutes of intense making out, both came up for air.

'Nice to know you care about me Milady,' Hiccup chuckled, pecking the Hofferson on the lips and pulling her into a warm embrace. 'Still I was amazed myself I was able to hold my own against Dagur. I would have avoided a fight so not to provoke hostilities between us and the Berserkers, but when Skullcrusher led us there and I saw what they were doing to Grump, something twisted and snapped inside me, and I knew I had to attack Dagur and save that Dragon. I went berserk. It frightened me a bit, what if I did to someone I care for? Sometimes I think that I might go too far that I might not come back again. End up being no better then the people I'm fighting.'

Astrid lifted her head up and looked at her boyfriend's face. His features were twisted in concentration, and his green eyes were an intense star into nothing as if he was in deep thought, in conflict with himself. She shuffled closer to him, playing with his hair, making a small braid, as she thought of an answer.

'You may think like that Hiccup,' she said. 'But you are so much more then Dagur or any other madman out there. I know because I've seen you and I've seen how much you care for other people. So what I'm trying to say Babe, I know that you'll never "go too far" and "not come back again", because you've always been different from other Vikings, and that seems to have more advantages then we all thought,' she finished her statement and pecked Hiccup on the cheek.

'Did you just call me Babe?' said Hiccup, looking at Astrid with a smile.

'Yep, its your new pet name,' Astrid gave a cheeky grin.

'I like it Milady,' Hiccup smiled, both Vikings meeting in another kiss.

_In the sky above Berk_

Stoick had not meant for Skullcrusher to ram that sea stack before. Since freeing Thornado, the Chief had not trained and ridden a Dragon personally since, so the Vast was a bit rusty on the matter. What he could not deny was he was impressed when the Rumblehorn had crashed through the sea stack, knocking it clean over and shaking it off without a second thought and a bellowing roar. _Hiccup made a good choice, he had definitely outdone himself this time _Stoick thought to himself. The pair had been flying for an hour and a half and it had been a thrill. Skullcrusher was everything Hiccup had described him as. Fast, the Chief had almost been left behind when the Dragon had taken off. Powerful and tough, the recent event involving the sea stack had proven that. Intelligent and great sense of smell, the pair had found an old fur cape that the Chief had lost a few days back. Not to mention the series of shots the Rumblehorn had made, turning rocks into rubble and trees into burnt stumps.

'You really are something else,' Stoick stated, leaning forward and looking in the Dragon's eye. 'What do you think big guy?' Skullcrusher met his Chief and Rider's gaze and gave him a toothy grin and low growl in agreement.

'Well to know we agree on something already,' Stoick chuckled. 'How about one more tour flight around your new home before we call it a night.' He received another grin and growl of agreement.

To state that Skullcrusher was a great birthday present for Stoick the Vast was an understatement, he was an amazing birthday present for Stoick the Vast. The Chief of Berk smiled to himself and gave the Rumblehorn a pat on the side of his head. He had received more then just a new Dragon, he had received a new friend. The two friends flew over Berk for another half hour before they landed home. A fine ending of the birthday of the Chief of Berk.

**Sorry the wait guys. There are times when I put loads of ideas and effort in chapters, and then I'm stumped for the next chapter because I've ran out of ideas. I'm thinking of keeping Stoick alive in my future stories post-HTTYD2 since I did not agree with his fate in the movie and that he had so much more to contribute. Until then I hope you enjoy this story as well as my others. :)**


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